Today is the beginning of our salvationThe revelation of the eternal mystery!The Son of God becomes the Son of the VirginAs Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:Rejoice, O Full of Grace,The Lord is with You!

On the Feast of the Annunciation, His Beatitude The Most Blessed Tikhon,[3] primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), presided over a Hierarchical Festal Liturgy that included the ordination of third–year M. Div. student Deacon Adam Horstman to the Holy Priesthood, and the awarding of the double–orarion to Deacon Gregory Hatrak, SVS Press and Bookstore's manager of Marketing and Operations. The visiting priests who served alongside the Chapel clergy consisted of the three spiritual mentors who'd been significant in Fr. Adam's spiritual journey: The Rev. Justin Patterson of St. Athanasius Church, Nicholasville, KY; The Rev. Paul Coats of St. Anthony the Great Mission, Rock Hill, SC; and The Rev. Nathan Preston of St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Ridgewood, NY. Parishioners from all three parishes attended the Ordination as well.

"Today, a new mode of existence is come into being," declared The Very Rev. Dr. John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir's, in his homily about the Feast of the Annunciation. "One Who is God comes to us in an all too human way, living a life of ministry, service, and sacrifice. And to the extent that we are willing to share in His ministry with sacrifices of our own, today will be the beginning of our salvation," he concluded.Dn. Gregory receives his double-orarion

Metropolitan Tikhon noted the same theme at the end of the Liturgy, when he commended Dn. Gregory for his faithful service to the Church and congratulated Fr. Adam on his entry to the ministry. His Beatitude emphasized that Fr. Adam and his wife, Patricia (Trish) will find their own unique way to serve Christ in His Church by using their strengths and combining their personalities for the good of those they will serve.

Originally hailing from the Midwest, Fr. Adam earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Wright State University in Dayton, OH, as well as a Masters in Theological Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. His military career began when, after graduating from high school in 1997, he joined the Air Force National Guard as a military policeman. After the events of September 11, 2001, he was called to active duty. During his military deployment, he found an Orthodox prayer book and began acquiring a love for Orthodoxy.

"While studying church history and theology at Asbury Seminary, I found myself drawn still further to the Eastern Orthodox Church," noted Fr. Adam. "In the Spring of 2005 I attended an Orthodox service for the first time and never looked back. My wife and I were received on the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross in 2006 at St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Nicholasville, Kentucky."

Newly ordained third-year seminarians: Fr. James Parnell, Fr. Andre Paez, and Fr. Adam HorstmanFather Adam was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in Three Hierarchs Chapel by The Most Rev. Jonah, former archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, on March 18, 2012, on the Feast of the Veneration of theThe Horstman family with His Beatitude Holy Cross. While a student at St. Vladimir's, Fr. Adam served the community of St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Jamaica Estates, NY with Fr. Nathan Preston. On campus, he participated actively with the Interseminary Dialogue[4], an informal student–led organization composed of eight different Jewish and Christian seminaries in the New York area that plans regular meetings to address issues of common concern and interest.

As an Air Force veteran, Fr. Adam is currently a Reserve Chaplain candidate in the U.S. Army Reserve. After 2013 Commencement, he hopes to serve as both a parish priest and a Reserve Chaplain. Father Adam's wife Trish holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from Wright State University. The Horstmans have two children, Luke and Leah.